Beer giants from Anheuser-Busch InBev to Heineken have seized on the nonalcoholic beer craze, but it’s a 5-year-old startup that is capturing the most buzz. Athletic Brewing has grown from selling 12,000 cases in 2018 to more than 1.4 million last year and is now the third-largest non-alcoholic beer brand in the U.S., according to Nielsen stats cited by Athletic. It just opened a major new brewery in Connecticut to help fulfill all the demand.

Co-founders Bill Shufelt, a former financial analyst, and John Walker, a brewmaster, first concocted the brew when Shufelt grew tired of unsophisticated and bad-tasting non-alcohol options after he gave up drinking. Athletic’s secret is that it is brewed in a way that avoids taking out alcohol after it is made, which most non-alcohol brands do, according to Walker. “What sets us apart is we have a fully fermented brew that just happens to be under 0.5% [alcohol]. We are not removing anything ever,” he said.

Shufelt began spreading the word by blanketing running race events with free samples. Connecticut-based Athletic also got a major assist from Whole Foods stores in the Northeast, which began carrying the brand. Athletic is now available in a range of styles, from Run Wild IPA to Trailblazer, a hoppy citrus lager. Marketing has included deals with college athletes—including Illinois basketball star Kofi Cockburn (who was recently drafted by the Utah Jazz)—taking advantage of so-called "name, image and likeness" rules enacted in 2021 that allow university stars to back brands for money.

A March Madness campaign for Athletic Lite starred ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt and included regional TV buys. The “SportsCenter” anchor plugged the beer as something you can drink while playing hoops.